People ask me this question on a daily basis. If I had a pound for every time someone asked me, I would be a very rich man (or a very fat one!) In this article I am going to uncover the mystery surrounding weight, or rather fat, loss. Many people think that there is a special exercise or something slim, toned people do that is different to what you do - I'm here to spill the beans.
Losing weight is not rocket science! It just comes down to a few key points:
1) Not all foods are equal, and a calorie is not the same across the board. You might tell yourself that you're allowed a Caramel Latte; after all it's only 250 calories and you know you have a daily limit of 2,000. Right? Sorry, but no! Firstly you need to take into consideration the hormonal effect the food or liquid will have on your body. Science is only discovering now that different foods react differently when ingested. A latte has a high sugar content which causes your body to release insulin, and insulin is a fat storage hormone. (The caffeine in the coffee also leads to the release of cortisol, which is a hormone that breaks down protein.) As a result that innocent little latte has turned your body into a sponge to store all the calories as body fat. 200 calories from, for example, a sweet potato will affect your body differently. The sweet potato contains complex carbohydrates which take longer to break down than simple carbohydrates (like sugar in your latte) and, as a result, eating a potato leads to a lower insulin spike. Because the sweet potato takes longer to digest (those complex carbohydrates) insulin will be secreted over a longer period and this helps to keeping your levels stable and is less likely to cause fat storage.
So, what should you be eating? Foods that are unprocessed must be your first choice. Think of anything in its natural form and it's probably good to eat. Calories from fruit need to be treated with a little caution. Fruits contain fructose (in simple language 'fruit sugar') along with lots of other things, like fibre, vitamins and minerals. But sugar causes an insulin spike, which leads to fat storage, so it is advised that you limit your fruit intake to 3 pieces a day, preferably eaten before midday. You can eat as many vegetables as you like. Green vegetables are especially good for you; starch vegetables are less good for you.
2) New science backs the theory that meal frequency is a thing of the past. Scientific research states that the number of meals you eat in a day doesn't matter as long as you eat enough of the right kind of food and stick to your calorie limit. However, I disagree. I find that small complete meals (protein, carbohydrates and fats ) are the best and should be spaced out every 3 to 4 hours. And here's why:
- the longer you wait to eat the more prone you are of binge eating. If you are eating every 3 hours your blood sugar levels will remain constant and you won't want to binge on sweets or cakes especially in the late afternoons and evenings.
- I believe that the scientific study is flawed. The people used in the controlled study may not be sufficiently like me for the results of that study to apply. For example I am a man, I'm 25, I weigh 205lbs, with 10% body fat, I watch my diet and I train regularly. If the test subjects are middle aged men who don't train or have never dieted a day in their lives then it is arguable that the study results will not be applicable to me. Small, frequent meals have been used by body builders for decades. This method is still used, simply because it still works! I like that logic!
3) Weight training is something I believe everyone should do at least 4 times a week. It could be argued that this is too frequent and that there is a risk of overtraining. However, I don't believe there is such thing as overtraining, but I do believe that you can under rest and under eat. Your weight training program should be the core of your plan to get in to shape. Compound movements will help get rid of your flabby tummy and arms, and exercises like squat, lunges and dead lifts should be used almost daily. Remember that it's not about how much you can lift - you're not a weight lifter! It's all about engaging the muscle and keeping tension on it at all times. Commit yourself to doing your best when you train, each and EVERY session. You should be out of breath after every set; you should need to recover after every set. The intensity of your workout is what keeps you losing weight after you have dropped those first few pounds (which is usually mostly water from fluid retention).
4) Many people believe that cardio is the way to lose weight. Cardio, I'm afraid, is last on the list! The key is eating (what, how and when), then weight training, and finally cardio. However cardio is important and should be done at least 5 times a week at a minimum heart rate of 130bpm. Too much cardio can be counter-productive; 30 minutes is ideal.
Finally, as a guide for you - men should aim to lose a minimum of 2 pounds a week; anything less than this and you're probably doing something wrong. Women should expect to lose a minimum of 1 pound a week - again, anything less than this would indicate that you're doing something wrong.
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